DIY Projects

Turn discarded matchboxes into a three‑scene flipbook theater with secret hinges and stamped backgrounds

I love giving small, ordinary objects a second life, and matchboxes are one of my favourite starting points. They’re the perfect scale for tiny stagecraft: deep enough to create a little set, wide enough to tell a short story, and charmingly humble. In this project I’ll show you how to...

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Turn discarded matchboxes into a three‑scene flipbook theater with secret hinges and stamped backgrounds

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Step-by-step: paint convincing iridescent book covers with interference medium and dry‑brushing for miniature props Tutorials

Step-by-step: paint convincing iridescent book covers with interference medium and dry‑brushing for miniature props

I love tiny things that feel like they hold secrets — miniature books are one...

Jul 08 Read more...
Teach a 45‑minute workshop to make a solderless LED halo with coin cells for tiny theatrical props Tutorials

Teach a 45‑minute workshop to make a solderless LED halo with coin cells for tiny theatrical props

I love teaching short hands-on sessions that leave people with something...

Jul 06 Read more...
How to build a coin‑hidden pop‑up that reveals a tiny illustration when spun DIY Projects

How to build a coin‑hidden pop‑up that reveals a tiny illustration when spun

I love small mechanical surprises — the ones that make you tilt your head and...

Jun 27 Read more...
How to make a pocket-sized kaleidoscope using thrifted mirror tiles and a 3D‑printed tube DIY Projects

How to make a pocket-sized kaleidoscope using thrifted mirror tiles and a 3D‑printed tube

I’ve always loved tiny moments of surprise: a pattern that shifts when you...

Jun 26 Read more...

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DIY Projects Jun 27, 2026

How to build a coin‑hidden pop‑up that reveals a tiny illustration when spun

I love small mechanical surprises — the ones that make you tilt your head and grin. This coin‑hidden pop‑up is one of my favourite tiny tricks: a simple paper mechanism that hides a coin (or small token) and, when you spin it, reveals a tiny...

DIY Projects Jun 26, 2026

How to make a pocket-sized kaleidoscope using thrifted mirror tiles and a 3D‑printed tube

I’ve always loved tiny moments of surprise: a pattern that shifts when you tilt it, a little mechanism that hides a trick in plain sight. Recently I wanted a pocket-sized kaleidoscope that felt handmade, playful and a little rough around the edges...

Tutorials Jun 14, 2026

How to design a three-card flipbook that teaches timing and character motion to beginners

I love simple tools that reveal surprising motion, and a three-card flipbook is one of my favourite pocket-sized experiments. It’s small, fast to make, and brilliantly instructive for beginners learning about timing, keyframes and how slight...

Tutorials Jun 10, 2026

How to photograph miniature reflective water with a smartphone and two inexpensive diffusers

I’m obsessed with tiny, believable worlds — and one small trick I return to again and again is photographing miniature water. When you get the light and reflections right, a scrap of resin or a puddle of gloss medium can read as a pond, a...

Tutorials May 29, 2026

Teach a 30-minute paper automaton workshop for kids 8–12 using three reusable templates

Running a quick, joyful paper automaton workshop for kids aged 8–12 is one of my favourite ways to introduce mechanical thinking, storytelling and a bit of theatre to a classroom or birthday party. I designed this session to fit into a 30-minute...

DIY Projects May 22, 2026

How to design an instant pop-up postcard that conceals a surprise illustration and fits a standard uk stamp

I love a small, secret moment in the mail — something that looks ordinary from the outside but opens to reveal a little bit of mischief. In this piece I’ll walk you through how I design an instant pop-up postcard that conceals a surprise...

DIY Projects May 17, 2026

Create a convincing miniature fog effect for tabletop scenes using glycerin, cotton and a cheap aquarium pump

I love adding little moments of surprise to my tabletop scenes, and one of my favourite tricks is a convincing miniature fog that hugs buildings, creeps through alleyways or pools in low spots. After a lot of tinkering I've settled on a simple,...

Tutorials May 05, 2026

Photo recipe: capture silky reflections on resin water without a light tent using household diffusers

I love the little surprises that happen when a flat surface suddenly looks like liquid—when paint, paper or a tiny vignette becomes a glossy pool of reflected light. Lately I’ve been photographing small “resin water” scenes for...

Tutorials Apr 13, 2026

How to rig a pocket automaton with invisible thread so a character performs a clean loop without tangle

I love the quiet little shock of a tiny figure suddenly flipping through the air as if pushed by some secret breeze. Getting that flip to read as a single clean loop — with the thread invisible, the movement smooth and the mechanics entirely...

DIY Projects Apr 07, 2026

How to design a fold‑flat pop‑up theater that mails in an envelope and unfolds into a staged scene

I love tiny theatrical moments — the quiet drama of a stage, the surprise of a scene that appears when you open a card. Designing a fold-flat pop-up theater that fits in an envelope and blossoms into a staged scene is one of my favourite...